Mayfield Alpacas offers a wonderfully different way to spend time outdoors on the western edge of Sheffield, where the city begins to give way to the countryside leading towards the Peak District. With alpaca experiences and the chance to meet a variety of animals, it's an especially appealing stop for families and anyone who enjoys getting a little closer to the animals that call the farm home.

The location is part of what makes a visit interesting. This side of Sheffield provides a gradual transition from city to countryside, with fields, woodland and increasingly open views appearing as you travel west. Continue towards Ringinglow and you're soon approaching the eastern edge of the Peak District and some of its best-known gritstone landscapes.

That makes Mayfield Alpacas easy to include in a wider day of exploring. You could spend part of the day meeting the animals before heading further into the countryside for a walk, or combine your visit with a gentle exploration of the landscape between Sheffield and the National Park.

If you'd like to stretch your legs afterwards, our Peak District walks collection has plenty of ideas. The eastern side of the National Park is particularly rewarding, with routes around Hathersage, Burbage, Stanage and the surrounding moors offering everything from relatively short walks to much longer days out.

It's also a useful reminder that a Peak District day doesn't always need to revolve around one major attraction. An animal experience in the morning followed by a countryside walk in the afternoon can make a great combination, particularly when you're exploring with children or a group with different interests.

Mayfield Alpacas therefore works particularly well as part of that journey from Sheffield into the Peak District. Enjoy time at the farm, then keep travelling west and watch the landscape become progressively wilder as the city gives way to the gritstone edges, heather moorland and valleys beyond.